Foldable step-through mid-drive e-bike and folding bike fastened by steering assembly

Abstract

Presented herein is a foldable bicycle (folding bike) with improvement including a step-through or low step-over electric bicycle (eBike, pedelec) with a main frame member or members extending rearward from the head tube to a hinge and a bottom bracket where a mid-drive motor may be positioned, and wherein at least one battery is mounted to the frame, and wherein the hinge is located near the midpoint of the bicycle and allows the front frame assembly and the rear frame assembly to pivot laterally around the hinge in a manner moving generally parallel to the ground to a folded position. Other improvements presented herein include a foldable bicycle, electric, or non-electric, with a handlebar and stem which are moveable to a steering assembly storage position, and in the storage position the handlebar and/or stem serve to fasten the foldable bicycle in the folded position. The folded bicycle may be rolled along the ground in the folded position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A foldable electric bicycle, comprising:
 a front frame assembly comprising:
 a front wheel steering assembly comprising:
 a front fork, 
 a handlebar and stem mounted to said front fork, 
 a front wheel with rotation axle mounted to said front fork; 
 
 a front frame comprising:
 a head tube for pivotally mounting said steering assembly, 
 at least one front main member; 
 
 
 a rear frame assembly comprising:
 a rear frame comprising:
 a rear wheel mounting assembly, 
 a seat tube member, 
 a bottom bracket area mount for mounting an electric motor and pedal crank assembly; 
 
 a rear wheel with rotation axle mounted to said rear wheel mounting assembly, 
 a seat post and seat mounted to said seat tube member, 
 a drive power transfer component, 
 
 an electric motor mounted at said bottom bracket area mount to drive said drive power transfer component; 
 a hinge with a pivot axis oriented generally vertical to the ground, located proximate to a vertical mid-way plane equidistant from the rotation axis of said front wheel rotation axle and the rotation axis of said rear wheel rotation axle; 
 a locking mechanism comprising components on said front frame assembly and components on said rear frame assembly; 
 at least one battery mounted to said rear frame assembly and/or said front frame assembly to supply electrical power to said electric motor; 
 wherein said at least one front main member is connected to said head tube and extends generally rearward from said head tube to said hinge; 
 and wherein, at said vertical mid-way plane, no portion of any structural frame member is located above a straight line drawn between the top tangent point of said front wheel and the top tangent point of said rear wheel; 
 and wherein said hinge joins said front frame assembly and said rear frame assembly together in an operative riding position and allows said front frame assembly and said rear frame assembly to pivot laterally around said hinge in a manner moving generally parallel to the ground, from said operative riding position to a folded position such that said front wheel is adjacent to, and generally parallel with, said rear wheel. 
 
     
     
       2. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said at least one battery is mounted on or in said seat tube member. 
     
     
       3. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said at least one battery is mounted on or in said at least one front main member. 
     
     
       4. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said foldable electric bicycle is configured to be rolled along the ground on said front wheel and said rear wheel in said folded position. 
     
     
       5. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 4  wherein said handlebar may be used as a handle to roll said foldable electric bicycle. 
     
     
       6. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said locking mechanism comprises an actuator positioned above said at least one front main member which moves a locking mechanism element between a locked state and a unlocked state. 
     
     
       7. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 6  wherein said actuator operates said locking mechanism element positioned below said at least one front main member. 
     
     
       8. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said locking mechanism comprises a primary locking system, and a secondary fastening system. 
     
     
       9. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 8  wherein said locking mechanism is configured to require the active and ongoing actuation of a release mechanism during at least a first portion of said pivot laterally around said hinge to said folded position. 
     
     
       10. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 8  wherein at least a portion of said locking mechanism is configured to automatically engage when said foldable electric bicycle is pivoted laterally around said hinge to said operative riding position. 
     
     
       11. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said electric motor provides power to assist in driving said drive power transfer component. 
     
     
       12. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said electric motor provides power to drive said drive power transfer component independent from whether an operator is operating said pedal crank assembly of said foldable electric bicycle. 
     
     
       13. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein, in said folded position, said at least one front main member is positioned adjacent to, and generally parallel with, said seat tube member. 
     
     
       14. The foldable electric bicycle of  claim 1  wherein said rear wheel mounting assembly fastens to said rear wheel on at least one side of said rear wheel and said front fork fastens to said front wheel on at least one side of said front wheel.